Heart of the High King (D'Vaire, Book 19)

by Jessamyn Kingley

  “That’s a good question. I don’t see any issue with asking him either. You could simply use the excuse that we’re trying to learn more about magic intolerance,” Killian stated. “No matter what happens, we should see what we can do about that. And Vadimas, you and Severin need to put together some guidelines of the appropriate way to administer boosting potions so those can be distributed to hospitals. Rafe may not be the only one druids have unintentionally harmed, and if we can minimize the damage for those people who are unaware that they have this problem, I’d like to do that.”

  “I can put that together this weekend,” Prism Wizard Severin Porfyra-Dewitt responded.

  “Let’s look at the data we put together for Elf’s treatments and subsequent cure. We made many advances in how to treat the symptoms that he experienced, many of which may be plaguing Rafe as his body struggles with everything going on inside him with the cancer,” Killian said. “I think that might be a good starting-off point, but the reality is, this may be a pure healing project, not a sophisticated coming together of our talents.”

  “We may not be able to heal him completely, but we can at the very least make things easier on him,” T’Eirick responded.

  The room continued to discuss magical matters that Aleksander only understood in the most basic sense. Unlike the talented sorcerers in the room, he wasn’t heavily educated in the ways of their different races. Although he’d learned a lot since this group had formed, he would likely never comprehend it in the way they did since he lacked a well of magic, and Aleksander’s ability to focus was heavily inhibited.

  No matter how hard he tried, he could not figure out how to feel about things. Aleksander was lost, and he could not find a way out of the confusion that plagued him. Staring at the wooden table, he wondered how he was supposed to react. Of all the scenarios he’d imagined since Rafe had first ignored one of his texts, he couldn’t have predicted that eleven or so months later, he’d be sitting in his house discussing how to prevent his imminent death. Since his return, Aleksander was going through the motions, and he wasn’t sure if he was in shock or hiding from the pain.

  Chapter 32

  Rafe had a doctor’s appointment, and Dra’Kaedan had already volunteered to teleport him, but he had a few minutes to spare and as luck would have it, his brother was in the kitchen by himself.

  “Hey,” he offered Kendrick, sitting carefully on a barstool.

  Kendrick offered him a mutinous glare. “Hey.”

  “Lunch was really delicious.”

  “It’s Noir’s kitchen.”

  “Well, you two work together, so I wanted to compliment you both. Everything I’ve ever eaten here is incredible,” Rafe offered. It was causing him tons of abdominal pain and was now going through him within an hour of eating, but he had no regrets.

  “Do you need something?”

  “Actually yeah, I need to buy stuff like soap and new balls for Mortis. How do I make purchases?” Rafe asked.

  “Use your personal account. I’m sure you have plenty. You were a duke for how many centuries?”

  Even when Rafe was being paid, it was practically pennies, but he was cut off from even the pittance in his old account. His current one had nothing in it. The people around him had supplied everything he needed but now that he was at D’Vaire, he certainly wasn’t going to ask Their Majesties or the Reverent Knights to give him anything—he hadn’t even liked it when they’d insisted while he was in the hospital. Recalling that Aleksander had told him that the sanctuary provided funds to those who needed it and that the Coven of Warlocks reimbursed D’Vaire, he wondered if maybe he’d misunderstood. As for the High King, he was unable to ask him. Aleksander remained a ghost. “Okay, thank you. Have a good afternoon.”

  His brother said nothing, and Rafe was thrilled when Dra’Kaedan and Brogan strolled in. “Ready to go?” the Grand Warlock asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Getting to his feet and closing his eyes, Dra’Kaedan got them to the spot in the hospital owned by Dérive. “Thanks, I can call or text when I’m ready to be picked up.”

  “Seriously? You aren’t going by yourself. You’re a D’Vaire. We take security very seriously,” Brogan argued.

  “I have a wolf sentinel.”

  “He doesn’t even have thumbs.”

  “Can protect.”

  “Mortis can take care of it, and who the hell is going to care if someone attacks a dying guy?” Rafe asked. Already worried about how he was going to buy soap, he couldn’t stand there forever arguing with the Grand Duke, or his legs would give out.

  “Let’s go,” Dra’Kaedan said and tugged on Brogan’s shirt. “Text or call when you’re done. Are you okay after the spell?”

  “Yeah. For whatever reason, your spell doesn’t affect me as much as when I used Dérive. Like my stomach still acts a little weird, but not for long.”

  “Awesome, glad I’m not making you feel like shit. Now get going. We don’t want to keep you.”

  Rafe made his way down the hall and was grateful when he got to the elevator since it opened as he arrived. The man inside was kind enough to hold the door, though he appeared apprehensive as Mortis joined them, but Rafe ignored it and got off on the correct floor. It was a short distance to Dr. Suricata’s office and when he got there, he signed in with his new name. His smile formed as he wrote D’Vairedraconis for the first time. The woman who manned the reception desk walked over and smiled at him. “Identification card, please.”

  Fishing it out of his pocket, Rafe handed it to her.

  “Sir, the name you signed doesn’t match your ID card.”

  “I just joined High Court D’Vaire, so I haven’t gotten a new one yet.”

  “If you’re truly part of that court, you need to get the High King to update you in the system. I’m going to sign you in using the name we have on record until that’s done.”

  Rafe was embarrassed yet again and wished he hadn’t gotten out of bed. “Okay.”

  “Your friend needs to shift; we don’t allow beasts to wander around a hospital.”

  “He’s not a shifter. Mortis Daray is a wolf sentinel. Here’s his identification card.”

  “D’Vaire too.”

  “I’ll ask His Highness to update your information too so you can have both names, okay?”

  “Yes.”

  The woman eyed him warily as he spoke with Mortis and handed him the cards back. “You can go through the door into Exam Room Two.”

  “Thank you.”

  Rafe pushed his way there and a nurse took his vitals, got him up on the scale, and took a small vial of blood from his arm. Relaxing against the exam table, an idea hit him. Maybe Their Majesties knew of a job he could do—perhaps reading files or something easy he could accomplish from D’Vaire that could earn him the money he needed to pay for necessities. Digging his phone out of his pocket, he found the right contact and it was picked up on the first ring.

  “Office of the Emperor, how can I help you?”

  “Hi, Your Grace, it’s Rafe. I was wondering if there was any way I could get an appointment with Their Majesties?”

  “Rafe, it’s so good to hear your voice, but none of that royal stuff. How are you? As one of Their Majesties’ favorite people, I can definitely squeeze you in whenever you’re in Las Vegas. When is your next trip here from Arizona, and how are things at D’Vaire?”

  “I’m good and I love being at D’Vaire. I’m actually in Las Vegas right now. I don’t suppose they could get me in today, could they? Otherwise I’ll be here next week for my regular doctor’s appointment.”

  “I just knew you’d love being at D’Vaire, it’s so incredible. Just come over whenever your appointment is done, okay? Their Majesties are in office for the rest of the afternoon, so we’ll just scoot you in there as best we can.”

  “Thanks so much, Niko.”

  “You’re very welcome, we’ll see you soon.”

  Rafe hung up and was nearly asleep when Dr. Suric
ata finally showed up.

  “Sorry for the wait, Dermot. The lab is backed up, and I was hoping to get your test results but looks like that might not happen for a little longer,” Dr. Suricata said as she sailed in. “How are you?”

  “I’m doing okay.”

  “You’ve lost four pounds.”

  “I’ve had some stomach problems.”

  She stared hard at him, and he barely constrained the effort to look away. “And you’re using the diet I provided you with at the sanctuary?”

  “Um…most of the time?”

  “I’d guess not at all. This is absolutely unacceptable, Dermot. You’re on a lot of medication, and the last thing you can afford to do is lose weight. I’m going to give you another printout of the diet you need to be on. You need to give this to whoever is preparing your meals, do you understand?”

  Rafe let out a sigh. “Yeah.”

  “What else is troubling you?”

  “Nothing, everything else is the same.”

  “You’re taking all your medications?”

  “Yeah. I just wanted to enjoy decent food.”

  “I know it might not have been the best here at the hospital, but there’s a lot you can do to make food palatable with spices and variety, okay?”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  Dr. Suricata listened to his heart and lungs, then made him lie down so she could check him out. When she pushed on his abdomen, he winced.

  “I’m sorry it hurts. If you go back on your diet, you won’t have such an upset tummy. You can sit up. I’ll go get your printout. I will call you if anything weird shows up on your blood work, though I suspect any anomalies might be due to your lack of compliance. Otherwise, I’ll see you next week.”

  “Thanks.”

  It only took her a couple of minutes to return with the paper, which he folded lengthwise and slid into the front pocket of his denim jacket. Out in the waiting room, he took a seat. The Office of the Emperor was too far of a distance for him to manage, so he had no choice but to call Dra’Kaedan. Rafe hated to ask for help, but he wasn’t supposed to teleport more than twice a day, so he was going to need his wheelchair to get to his appointment. Thankfully, the Grand Warlock was happy to assist him. Rafe explained where he needed to go, and Dra’Kaedan told him it would only take him a few minutes to change into his suit and crown. That was fine since Rafe still had to get to the Dérive teleportation area to meet them.

  The Grand Warlock and the Grand Duke were already waiting for him when he arrived. Mortis loped over and got pets from both men as Rafe transferred into his wheelchair.

  “I can send the walker to your room if you want,” Dra’Kaedan offered.

  “I hope I’m born a sorcerer next time,” Rafe mused as his walker disappeared.

  “What’s that in your pocket?” Brogan asked.

  Rafe scowled. “I have a special diet. It’s a printout of my restrictions. I need to give it to Noirin and Kendrick.”

  Brogan plucked it from his pocket and read as Rafe got his wheelchair into motion. “Why didn’t you tell them before? Has eating been making you sick?” he asked, walking just behind Rafe and Mortis with his mate.

  “Kind of.”

  “Like how bad?”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to be able to eat shit I like anymore.”

  When they finally made it out of the hospital and to Council Headquarters, Rafe’s arms were burning, and he was exhausted. The fallen knights cheerfully got them through security without incident. Rafe’s luck ran out at the one manned by titled dragons, which was the last barrier between him and Their Majesties.

  “Sir, where is your Draconis sash?”

  “Your Grace, he’s not Draconis,” Brogan stated. “He’s D’Vaire.”

  “That’s not what his identification card says, Your Grace.”

  “Shit,” Brogan muttered, then turned back to the straight-faced duke. “His Highness hasn’t had time yet to take care of that; he’s a recent addition to the High Court.”

  “Please ask His Highness to get that switched to make sure Mr. D’Vairedraconis doesn’t have future problems with security. He needs a sash as well, Your Grace.”

  “Of course, we’ll take care of that as soon as we get home. Thank you, Your Grace.”

  “Dammit, Aleksander,” Brogan groused quietly as they got into the elevator. Once they were out and Brogan explained the missing sash to yet another dragon, they finally made it to Niko’s desk. The Royal Duke-mate greeted them with a bright smile and came around to give them hugs, including Mortis, who licked the kind man’s face, which made Niko laugh.

  “You guys can go on in,” Niko said after he picked up the phone and spoke to whoever was on the other end.

  Rafe was exhausted, in pain, and didn’t particularly want to share his business with Dra’Kaedan and Brogan, but perhaps he could get them out after they greeted Their Majesties. When he slowly rolled his tired ass into the stunning office that housed their leaders, the royals were just as happy to see them as Niko had been, and Rafe was humbled by their enthusiasm.

  “We got two calls from security for your missing sash and one for the incorrect identification card,” Damian stated. “What’s going on at D’Vaire?”

  “I’m going to talk to Aleksander as soon as we get home. We’ll get it cleared it up,” Brogan promised.

  “It’s unlike Aleksander to miss details,” Chrysander said. “Is he the reason I also got an angry call from Dr. Suricata?”

  “No, that’s my fault. I didn’t tell anyone I had dietary restrictions,” Rafe responded.

  “Let’s get this straightened out, okay? There’s no reason for you to be at D’Vaire now for over a week and have your identification card incorrect. As for your diet, you’ve got enough issues, don’t add to them, Rafe,” Chrysander said. “Now, what can we do for you?”

  “I hate to ask this,” Rafe said to Dra’Kaedan and Brogan. “Can I speak to Their Majesties privately?”

  “Absolutely,” Dra’Kaedan responded, hopping to his feet.

  “You guys can wait in the conference room if you want,” Zane offered.

  “Forget that, we’re going to hang out with your mate,” Dra’Kaedan said and the pair went into the attached workshop where Tiri ran his textile business.

  As soon as the door was shut, Rafe grimaced. “So, I’m not sure if you can help me. I need a way to make a little money to pay for the stuff I need…just basics like shampoo and toys for Mortis.”

  “Love toys.”

  “You’ve been through a lot, Rafe, and we’ve fought a lot about giving you things. You need to let people help you,” Chrysander said. “No one at D’Vaire is going to be upset with you for spending the money in your account to buy anything. That’s why it’s there. It’s why being in a sanctuary is such a good fit for you.”

  “I was told that for household stuff I had to use my personal funds. I don’t have any. So, if I could just find a part-time job, I could make what I need. I don’t have a lot of experience in much, but I know how to read, and I enjoy politics. I love what I’ve learned of the Council, and I have used my laptop to keep up-to-date on the newspaper and stuff. I was hoping you guys could direct me where to apply for something.”

  Chrysander’s jaw flexed, and he glanced at Ellery for a moment. Then he scrubbed a hand over his face. “I honestly have no idea what to say right now. Sanctuaries exist to provide whatever a person needs once they arrive there. You don’t need a job. What you’re lacking is a correct identification card and a bank account attached to it with the money you require.”

  “I don’t want to take money if I can earn it,” Rafe argued. “I mean we all know I’m not going to be around long, so why should anyone at D’Vaire want to waste stuff on me?”

  Ellery stood and laid a hand on Chrysander’s arm when His Majesty’s eyes narrowed. “Rafe, I agree with Chrys. You do not need to work, and His Highness should have already provided you with money. That is a situation we wil
l see fixed immediately. However, I know what a proud man you are as well. I believe we can help you. If you would like, we could use your assistance. Niko despairs about the way the work the advisory panel does is archived. He would love a basic database, which we could set up with you. Then, you could enter the information regarding who was responsible for the bill and could follow up with when it went up for vote, and the outcome. Because this is historical and would be used for reference only with no due dates, you may take your time and work on it as you see fit. I must insist you do it a few hours a day at most to not burden yourself.”

  “Yeah, I think I could do that. I’ve never done a database before, but if someone could teach me, I’m ready to learn.”

  “I believe we can find people both here and at D’Vaire who might be helpful. Niko, Zane, and I will coordinate those efforts and send you via e-mail the information you need, so you may work at your own pace. Once we have figured out who at D’Vaire will be assisting, they will be on hand for questions or problems. I plan to call Worth as a starting point. He has ample experience with office matters as CFO of Dérive.”

  “Thanks so much, I really appreciate that. I hope I can get started soon.”

  “Give us a couple of days to get it set up and, in the meantime, you can familiarize yourself with the database program we use, as well as CouncilParlay. I can create an account for you after Aleksander updates you in the overall system. Sound good?” Zane asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Now get home; you look exhausted,” Damian said.

  Rafe had every intention of taking their advice and planned on using the strong medication he had yet to try but was told it was for situations when he pushed himself too far or was in too much pain. Since he was not only exhausted but in agony, it was exactly what Dr. Suricata had prescribed it for.

  Chapter 33

  The mortifying phone call from Chrysander was the wake-up Aleksander needed. It reconnected him with his common sense and every other part of his personality that had apparently been on hold since Rafe walked through his door. Tearing a page right out of Sorcery D’Vaire’s book, he accepted that nothing was impossible, including his relationship with Rafe. Those sorcerers had made Aleksander immortal so he could extend Rafe’s life, and that was the only thing that mattered. Who cared if he had a walker or was confined to a wheelchair? Aleksander certainly didn’t, and the scars were no deterrent either. It was the man behind those remarkable blue eyes that held his heart.